In-home tests gain momentum in diagnosing sleep disorders

But many doctors say they're not as thorough as laboratory studies

4:14 AM,
Feb. 21, 2013

Mala LaCaze, left, clinical coordinator at the Baptist Health Louisville Sleep Disorders Center, demonstrates a home sleep monitor system with Michael Messex in Louisville, Ky. His obstructive sleep apnea was diagnosed via a December home test. That test diagnosed his sleep apnea, but he needed a follow-up lab test before he could receive a continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, machine, for treatment.

Written by

Laura Ungar
| The (Louisville, Ky.) Courier-Journal

Nights are far from peaceful for Michael Messex. He snores. He stops breathing dozens of times each hour. And his wife says it's getting worse.

A doctor warned Messex that he might have obstructive sleep apnea, a serious disorder that not only robs millions of Americans of restful sleep but raises their risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Diagnosing the disorder traditionally has meant having the patient spend the night in a sleep lab hooked up to monitors. But Messex was diagnosed at home using a less-expensive test that's gaining ground across the nation, thanks largely to a push by ...